We’ve all been there. You start a new diet with the best intentions. You’re excited, motivated, and ready to shed pounds and feel better. But a few weeks in, your enthusiasm fizzles. You’re bored with the same old meals and feel like you’re eating cardboard. Before long, you give in to cravings and revert to your old, unhealthy habits. Tracking your calorie deficit can help you avoid this situation and continue toward your weight loss goals. The following article will cover how to track calorie deficit to stay on target, avoid the diet doldrums, and promote long-term health. But, how calories are measured? One of the best ways to track your calorie deficit is with a calorie tracker. Calorie trackers help you track your food intake and understand how different foods impact your weight loss goals.
Cal AI's calorie tracker is a super easy-to-use tool that uses artificial intelligence to help you customize your weight loss plan to reach your goals faster and with less stress.
Calories measure heat and energy. Technically, one calorie is the amount of heat it takes to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. To our bodies, calories are the way we exchange energy. Food contains energy we put in our bodies, and exercise is how we expend or burn energy. When our body stores energy, it is typically in the form of body fat.
A calorie deficit occurs when you consume fewer calories than you burn over time. For example, if you burn 2,000 calories daily but consume 1,500, you’ll be in a 500-calorie deficit. Another example of a calorie deficit is consuming 2,000 calories daily but burning 2,500.
Depending on your diet and exercise, you can achieve a deficit in two ways—eating less or exercising more—or, more often, a combination of both.
Calorie deficits are the most critical factor for weight loss. Think of your body as a machine; it requires and burns energy. A calorie deficit happens when you burn more than you take in. No matter the latest diet trend, a calorie deficit is common among successful weight loss plans.
Whether you cut carbs and fat or fast intermittently, you usually need to create a calorie deficit to see weight loss. One kilogram of body fat contains about 7,700 calories, and losing weight at about 0.5–1 kilogram per week is safe and sustainable.
There are physical and mental benefits to maintaining a calorie deficit.
Dana Ellis Hunnes, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., a senior clinical dietitian at UCLA Medical Center and author of Recipe For Survival, highlights that one benefit of maintaining a calorie deficit, “as long as it is not too big of a deficit that you’re constantly in starvation mode and feeling hungry,” is that weight loss will naturally ensue.
“One must be careful that they do not reduce their caloric intake too much so that they do not lose muscle mass.” The National Institutes of Health deems a healthy weight loss where you lose about 10 percent of your starting weight over six months. That equates to about 1/2 to 3/4 of a pound a week.
Chronic inflammation is behind everything from heart disease to erectile dysfunction. “A benefit of maintaining a calorie deficit is it decreases inflammation and the expression of IGF-1,” says Ellis Hunnes.
“Since many chronic conditions are exacerbated by inflammation, having a calorie deficit can lower inflammation and therefore lower the risk of developing a chronic condition,” she says, adding that this research has been shown in animal studies and even in certain human studies.
The verdict may still be out, but this potential for enhanced lifespan is undoubtedly exciting. “A benefit of maintaining a calorie deficit is a potential increase in longevity. Studies in monkeys and mice indicate that a calorie deficit of around 80 percent of calorie needs extends the life of the animal,” says Ellis Hunnes. “While this has yet to fully pan out in humans, the research is there in animal studies.”
When you maintain a calorie deficit, you no longer have to make any food—or food groups—off-limits. That means you don’t have to restrict what you eat, even if you may have to cut back on how much you enjoy.
Here’s your two-step plan.
The first best place to start is how many calories you eat. Track everything you eat and drink for three days (just one day might not give you the most accurate assessment) and tally your daily total at FitDay.com or with an app like Lose It!, MyFitnessPal, or MyPlate. Don't worry; this is easier than it sounds. Estimate the calories you need to maintain weight using the formula below based on your activity level—precisely, how often you work out.
The following sample calculations are for a 185-pound person.
Zero workouts. Multiply your weight by 10. At 185 pounds, that's 1,850 calories a day. This is your basal metabolic rate.
Now compare those two numbers—the number of calories you currently eat vs. the number of calories you need to eat to maintain weight. How far off are you? If you’re eating more than your target number, you’ll gain weight; if you eat less, you’ll lose weight.
If you’re not already in a caloric deficit, aim for a maximum daily deficit of 250 to 500 calories when trying to shed some pounds. (Healthy and sustainable weight loss is one-half to one pound a week.) That means either eating fewer calories or burning more calories throughout your day.
So if our 185-pound man works out 2 to 4 days a week, eating 2,590 calories daily maintains his weight. Here's how his body uses those calories and how he can burn more calories.
60 to 75 percent of daily calories burned. This is how much energy your body uses just to stay alive. You can get a rough estimate of this number with an online BMR calculator that accounts for your:
70 percent = 1,813 calories
10 percent. These are the calories burned by digestion. In general, you burn 0 to 3 percent of the calories of fat you eat, 5 to 10 percent for carbohydrates, 20 to 30 percent for protein, and 10 to 30 percent for alcohol. 10 percent = 259 calories Because you use far more calories from protein for digestion than with fat or carbs, ensure you reach your target amount of daily protein. That way, you can burn more without a ton of effort. For adult men, that means at least 56 grams of protein daily. Opt for a lean protein source like chicken or fish.
15 to 30 percent. These calories are expended through your daily activity level, including exercise and any other movement. If you wear a fitness tracker, you can get a pretty good estimate of how many calories you’re burning each day based on steps or heart rate.
You can also enter individual activities and workouts into an online exercise calculator. 20 percent = 518 calories
Also important: Don't forget about liquid calories—and we're not just talking soda here! It's easy to forget that morning juice or two glasses of wine with dinner. That's why keeping track of your beverage intake is essential, too. Liquids can quickly add up and make you consume more calories than you think.
For example, one can of beer contains roughly 153 calories, depending on the brand. Drinking just two adds 300 calories daily, which can be significant if you only cut back by 250 to 500 calories daily.
Here are some tips to help you get started on a successful calorie deficit plan.
Changes If you’re already eating a super healthy diet of lean protein, lots of veggies, and whole grains, it might not be the best option to reduce your calorie intake—you’ll probably have to work harder in the gym.
Conversely, if you are already pushing yourself 2 hours a day at the gym but don’t pay too much attention to your diet, it might be time to cut out junk food and reduce your portions to see fat loss changes.
When you know there are 7,700 calories in one kilo, reaching for a higher calorie deficit might be tempting for faster weight loss. Extremely low-calorie intakes or significant deficits resulting in rapid weight loss are often unsustainable. If your calorie consumption is too low over time, your body starts to adjust, and your BMR slows down—making it harder to lose weight. Shooting for 0.5–1 kilogram weight loss per week is the most sustainable and likely to maintain long-term.
If your diet is on point but your workouts aren’t getting you where you want to be, ensure you’re still challenging yourself. The same 30-minute jog on the treadmill might be something your body is adjusted to and does efficiently while burning fewer calories.
Try HIIT training instead of steady-state cardio, or switch to the stair stepper or spin bike.
A daily 500-calorie deficit should allow you to lose about a pound a week—possibly even a bit more, says Beth Czerwony, RD. “Eating 500 fewer calories per day is a good place to start,” she adds. She says another option is to do a smaller calorie deficit—200 or 300 calories a day—combined with increasing your daily exercise.
Losing one pound a week may not sound like a lot, but slower weight loss will likely stick in the long term. And it’s easier for your body to adjust to a smaller calorie deficit than a larger one. If you start with a calorie deficit that is too big, you’ll likely have some unpleasant side effects, such as:
Even with a 500-calorie deficit, adjusting your body can take time. You may not lose any weight for the first week or two. “If you lose weight in the first week, you’re probably dropping water weight,” explains Czerwony. “This is usually due to cutting some of the junkier carbs and salt from your diet.” After that, the fat loss begins.
If you have any existing health conditions, a calorie deficit can cause problems. “You can harm yourself with a calorie-deficit diet,” warns Czerwony.
Here’s what to know if you have:
Talking to your healthcare provider before starting a calorie-deficit diet is best. If they clear you to follow this eating plan, avoid two common traps: eating too little protein and cutting too many calories.
Cutting too much protein from your diet can make it difficult for your body to maintain muscle. If you cut back too drastically on your food intake, especially protein, your body will break down muscle for fuel. “Your body does this first before turning to fat for fuel,” says Czerwony. Muscle mass plays a vital role in keeping your metabolism powered up, so losing muscle is doubly bad if you’re trying to lose weight.
Your metabolism helps your body process food into energy. A slow metabolism burns calories slower, meaning calories are stored as fat. “You have to go into calorie deficit just enough to get your body to use fat stores but not go into starvation mode where you start burning muscle mass,” states Czerwony. Keeping the protein and dropping the sugary carbs can help you hit this sweet spot.
If you jump into a significant calorie deficit right off the bat, you risk bouncing back and forth between undereating and overeating. “You might start out fine on a large calorie deficit,” says Czerwony. “But at some point, you may get overly hungry and eat too much. Then you overcompensate and restrict my food intake. Then you overeat again, and you end up yo-yoing.”
Over time, so-called yo-yo dieting may lead to more weight gain. Cutting out a few calories first is better so you don’t get too hungry.
Before you even start counting calories, spend a few days tracking what you eat without making any changes. This practice helps you become more aware of your:
It’s about understanding your current relationship with food.
When you’re ready to start tracking calories, consider using an app like:
These apps not only count calories but also provide insights into the nutritional quality of your diet. They can show you how much protein, fat, and carbohydrates you’re consuming, as well as vitamins and minerals. Don’t feel pressured to track every calorie if it’s causing stress or anxiety. Instead, use the app to get a general idea of your intake and focus on the quality of your food.
Instead of focusing solely on calories, prioritize foods rich in nutrients. These include:
Nutrient-dense foods will help you stay within your calorie limit and ensure your body gets the necessary vitamins and minerals.
Mindful eating is about being present during meals and listening to your body’s hunger and fullness cues. It’s easy to overeat when distracted, so try to eat without screens and focus on your food:
This practice can help you eat less without feeling deprived.
It’s essential to have flexibility in your diet. If you’re too rigid, you may crave the foods you try to avoid. Allow yourself occasional treats and indulgences without guilt—what matters is the overall pattern of your eating habits, not individual meals.
Weight loss is often the goal of a calorie deficit, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of your health. Instead of focusing solely on the scale, consider other health markers, such as:
Cal AI uses advanced AI technology to make calorie tracking more efficient. With the Cal AI app, you simply snap a photo of your meal, and the app uses your phone's depth sensor and sophisticated AI models to:
The days of tedious manual logging in calorie tracking apps are over. Cal AI's AI even learns from your feedback to continually improve its accuracy.
The Cal AI app quickly and accurately tracks nutrition by taking a food photo. You can scan an entire meal, a quick snack, or a complex food item like a smoothie. The app provides personalized insights and smart reminders to help you stay on track with your nutrition goals.
Using Cal AI's food scanner takes less than 15 seconds and boasts an impressive 90% accuracy rate on visible foods. If you want to log nutrition information with your camera, try Cal AI's AI calorie tracker today.
